So, the last two weeks, we’ve talked about verb tenses and moods. Today, we’ll talk about their person. In their simplest form…
First Person: I, We
A verb uses first person when the speaker is talking about himself.
- I love typing.
- We watched the race.
- I am going to go to the movies tonight.
Second Person: You
Second person is the verb form for direct address–that is, when I’m talking to you.
- You heard me, I’m talking to you!
- You did what?
- You need to call the doctor.
Third Person: He, She, They
This is used for describing things that happen, or telling stories about other people.
- And then, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a jewelry box.
- She squealed and leaned forward to kiss him.
- They live in Paris, now.
I’ve always had a penchant for novels written in first person. Third person is okay too, but long works in second person — not so fun to read!
Melissa Donovan’s last blog post..A Story for a Song
I entirely agree about second-person. Useful for speeches and such, but … who wants to be told what to do for the length of an entire book?
(And, actually, the point-of-view aspect of verb persons is coming up in another post. I just have to write it first!)
–Deb’s last blog post..MM: Persons of Interest
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